Widow demands M4 million from army

. . . as wife of slain police sub-inspector yet to receive assistance from govt

Lekhetho Ntsukunyane and Keiso Mohloboli

THE widow of Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) Sub-Inspector, Mokheseng Ramahloko, who died during a predawn Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) raid of Police Headquarters on 30 August 2014, is demanding M4 million from the army in “compensatory damages”.

Sub-Inspector Ramahloko died on duty at Police Headquarters when some LDF members raided the station in what the security agency later said was an operation to seize firearms from rogue LMPS officers. The army also raided Maseru Central Police Station and Mabote Police Station on the same day in what then Prime Minister Thomas Thabane later said was an attempted coup.

’Mamonaheng — Sub-Inspector Ramahloko’s widow — is now demanding M4 million from the LDF for her husband’s death, as well as an explanation of what really happened on the fateful morning.

A letter written on 16 April 2015 by her lawyer, Advocate Haae Phoofolo of Phoofolo Chambers and addressed to the LDF commander, reads: “We are the legal representatives of Mrs ’Mamonaheng Ramahloko – the wife of the late Mokheseng Ramahloko, a police officer who notoriously died an atrocious death at the hands of the security agents of the Lesotho Defence Force on 30 August 2014.

“Our client informs us that notwithstanding the fact that her husband passed away as a consequence of the unlawful actions of the agents of the Lesotho Defence Force on the given day, which later led to a national security crisis, she has not been given a courtesy of an explanation and or briefing by the LDF over the investigations regarding the perpetrators of the actions that led to her husband’s death. Our client demands the said briefing within 14 days, failing which she will initiate an inquest into the matter in a court of law.”

King’s Counsel (KC) Phoofolo makes further demands on the LDF, noting in the same letter: “The late Mokheseng Ramahloko is also survived by a minor son and two elderly parents who entirely relied on him for economic survival. The means of economic survival for all the dependents of the late Mokheseng Ramahloko have been adversely affected and it is within the above-mentioned context that our client demands compensatory damages from  the Lesotho Defence Force to the tune of M4 million for loss of support of her husband.

“In the event that Mrs Ramahloko’s demands are not adhered to within 14 days, civil suits shall be instituted against the Lesotho Defence Force and or any other relevant government institution thereof.”

The letter is copied to the Minister of Defence and National Security, Tšeliso Mokhosi, Police Minister Monyane Moleleki and Attorney General Tšokolo Makhethe.

In an interview with the Sunday Express yesterday, Advocate Phoofolo said “serious murders” such as that of Sub-Inspector Ramahloko needed an official investigation report.

Advocate Phoofolo, who was the Minister of Law and Constitutional Affairs at the time of the raid, said even with a post-mortem report, Mrs Ramahloko had every right to know her husband’s killer or killers and what would happen to them.

“The police are responsible for investigating crime so they have to give us that report so that we can go ahead with the claim for damages,” Advocate Phoofolo (KC) said.

“As matters stand now, the widow has no basis for claiming compensation because she has no evidence that her husband died in the line of duty or any idea of who killed him. She only has the general knowledge that her husband was killed during a clash between the police and the army at Police Headquarters.

“If the widow is not given an investigation report from the police, then the relevant authorities will have to inquest for evidence.

“At least everybody is clear that in this particular case, Mr Ramahloko was killed during a Lesotho Defence Force raid on Police Headquarters on 30 August 2014.”

According to Advocate Phoofolo, investigations into the killing were carried out and the police opened a case but “we know that the police are going to say investigations are still in progress. But if they do, we will ask for an update on how far the investigations have gone.”

Repeated efforts to get a comment from LDF spokesperson, Major Ntlele Ntoi, proved fruitless yesterday as his mobile phone kept ringing unanswered.

Meanwhile, during Sub-Inspector Ramahloko’s funeral service held at Setsoto Stadium on 21 September 2014, Basotho National Partly (BNP) leader, Thesele ‘Maseribane — whose party was then in power alongside Dr Thabane’s All Basotho Convention (ABC) and the Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) led by Deputy Prime minister Mothetjoa Metsing — announced the family’s basic financial needs, including the couple’s 17-year-old son’s educational requirements, would be taken care of by the government.

Chief ‘Maseribane told mourners that Sub-Inspector Ramahloko was a hero because he had died on duty hence the need for Basotho to be proud of him and why government should take care of his family.

However, the Sunday Express has since learnt that Mrs Ramahloko has not received the promised help by government and her son had missed the deadline to pay his Form E examination fee.